Correlations among Personality Traits, Coping Skills, and Competitiveness in Online Learning Environments: A Path Analysis

Background: With the expansion of online classes, student competitiveness has emerged as a key factor in academic success. This study explored the correlations among personality traits, coping skills, and competitiveness in online learning environments, aiming to provide insights for improving onlin...

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Main Authors: Rouhoddin Heydari, Davood Taghvaei, Abdoljavad Ahmadi, Mohammadmahdi Jahangiri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 2025-06-01
Series:Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences
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Online Access:https://ijvlms.sums.ac.ir/article_51090_e5c9c6dc5122d77840e803f78c8c937b.pdf
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author Rouhoddin Heydari
Davood Taghvaei
Abdoljavad Ahmadi
Mohammadmahdi Jahangiri
author_facet Rouhoddin Heydari
Davood Taghvaei
Abdoljavad Ahmadi
Mohammadmahdi Jahangiri
author_sort Rouhoddin Heydari
collection DOAJ
description Background: With the expansion of online classes, student competitiveness has emerged as a key factor in academic success. This study explored the correlations among personality traits, coping skills, and competitiveness in online learning environments, aiming to provide insights for improving online educational programs.Methods: This study used a correlational research design incorporating path analysis to assess the correlations between independent variables (personality traits and coping skills) and the dependent variable (competitiveness). The study involved 427 second-year high school students from Tehran, Iran, who participated in online classes from November 2022 to February 2023, chosen through cluster sampling. Data were collected using three established instruments: the HEXACO Personality Inventory, Lazarus Coping Styles Questionnaire, and a Competitiveness Scale. Data analysis was conducted using LISREL software version 8.80.Results: The findings indicate that several personality traits and coping strategies are significantly correlated with competitiveness. Specifically, extraversion (β=0.20, r=0.22, p=0.0004), conscientiousness (β=0.13, r=0.16, p=0.0008), seeking social support (β = 0.13, r= 0.26, p=0.040), problem-solving coping (β=0.17, r=0.28, p=0.020), and positive reappraisal (β=0.19, r=0.30, p=0.008) were positively and significantly correlated with competitiveness. Conversely, escape-avoidance coping (β = –0.24, r = –0.14, p=0.0001) showed a significant negative correlation. Other traits and strategies, including openness to experience (β= –0.10, r=0.03, p=0.070), agreeableness (β= –0.07, r=0.07, p=0.210), honesty-humility (β=0.06, r=0.05, p=0.320), emotionality (β= –0.01, r=0.13, p=0.800), confrontive coping (β= –0.07,  r= 0.04, p=0.270), distancing coping (β = –0.04, r=0.08, p=0.510), self-control (β= 0.06, r= 0.17, p=0.390), and responsibility (β= –0.11, r=0.15, p=0.130), did not demonstrate statistically significant correlations. The model fit indices confirmed the adequacy of the path analysis model (χ²/df=1.01, RMSEA=0.02, GFI=0.95).Conclusion: The findings indicate significant correlations among specific personality traits and coping skills and student competitiveness in online classes. These insights may inform strategies to enhance online educational experiences. It is important to note that, given the correlational nature of the study, the analysis focuses solely on associations rather than causal effects.
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spelling doaj-art-5ec1ab7b17104f739da287cd03cdc8172025-08-20T03:18:38ZengShiraz University of Medical SciencesInterdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences2476-72632476-72712025-06-0116212514310.30476/ijvlms.2025.105861.132951090Correlations among Personality Traits, Coping Skills, and Competitiveness in Online Learning Environments: A Path AnalysisRouhoddin Heydari0Davood Taghvaei1Abdoljavad Ahmadi2Mohammadmahdi Jahangiri3Department of Psychology, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, IranDepartment of Psychology, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, IranDepartment of Psychology, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, IranDepartment of Psychology, Mahallat Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mahallat, IranBackground: With the expansion of online classes, student competitiveness has emerged as a key factor in academic success. This study explored the correlations among personality traits, coping skills, and competitiveness in online learning environments, aiming to provide insights for improving online educational programs.Methods: This study used a correlational research design incorporating path analysis to assess the correlations between independent variables (personality traits and coping skills) and the dependent variable (competitiveness). The study involved 427 second-year high school students from Tehran, Iran, who participated in online classes from November 2022 to February 2023, chosen through cluster sampling. Data were collected using three established instruments: the HEXACO Personality Inventory, Lazarus Coping Styles Questionnaire, and a Competitiveness Scale. Data analysis was conducted using LISREL software version 8.80.Results: The findings indicate that several personality traits and coping strategies are significantly correlated with competitiveness. Specifically, extraversion (β=0.20, r=0.22, p=0.0004), conscientiousness (β=0.13, r=0.16, p=0.0008), seeking social support (β = 0.13, r= 0.26, p=0.040), problem-solving coping (β=0.17, r=0.28, p=0.020), and positive reappraisal (β=0.19, r=0.30, p=0.008) were positively and significantly correlated with competitiveness. Conversely, escape-avoidance coping (β = –0.24, r = –0.14, p=0.0001) showed a significant negative correlation. Other traits and strategies, including openness to experience (β= –0.10, r=0.03, p=0.070), agreeableness (β= –0.07, r=0.07, p=0.210), honesty-humility (β=0.06, r=0.05, p=0.320), emotionality (β= –0.01, r=0.13, p=0.800), confrontive coping (β= –0.07,  r= 0.04, p=0.270), distancing coping (β = –0.04, r=0.08, p=0.510), self-control (β= 0.06, r= 0.17, p=0.390), and responsibility (β= –0.11, r=0.15, p=0.130), did not demonstrate statistically significant correlations. The model fit indices confirmed the adequacy of the path analysis model (χ²/df=1.01, RMSEA=0.02, GFI=0.95).Conclusion: The findings indicate significant correlations among specific personality traits and coping skills and student competitiveness in online classes. These insights may inform strategies to enhance online educational experiences. It is important to note that, given the correlational nature of the study, the analysis focuses solely on associations rather than causal effects.https://ijvlms.sums.ac.ir/article_51090_e5c9c6dc5122d77840e803f78c8c937b.pdfcoping skillscompetitive behaviorpersonality traitseducationdistancepath analysis
spellingShingle Rouhoddin Heydari
Davood Taghvaei
Abdoljavad Ahmadi
Mohammadmahdi Jahangiri
Correlations among Personality Traits, Coping Skills, and Competitiveness in Online Learning Environments: A Path Analysis
Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences
coping skills
competitive behavior
personality traits
education
distance
path analysis
title Correlations among Personality Traits, Coping Skills, and Competitiveness in Online Learning Environments: A Path Analysis
title_full Correlations among Personality Traits, Coping Skills, and Competitiveness in Online Learning Environments: A Path Analysis
title_fullStr Correlations among Personality Traits, Coping Skills, and Competitiveness in Online Learning Environments: A Path Analysis
title_full_unstemmed Correlations among Personality Traits, Coping Skills, and Competitiveness in Online Learning Environments: A Path Analysis
title_short Correlations among Personality Traits, Coping Skills, and Competitiveness in Online Learning Environments: A Path Analysis
title_sort correlations among personality traits coping skills and competitiveness in online learning environments a path analysis
topic coping skills
competitive behavior
personality traits
education
distance
path analysis
url https://ijvlms.sums.ac.ir/article_51090_e5c9c6dc5122d77840e803f78c8c937b.pdf
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